Unique Student Identifier

All students are required to provide UQ with a verifiable Unique Student Identifier (USI).

The Australian Government introduced a requirement that, from 1 January 2023, all students need a USI to be eligible for Commonwealth financial assistance and conferral of their award.

You must provide a verifiable USI to UQ to meet the conditions of your enrolment. If your USI can't be verified on the USI Registry, you will not be able to see your grades or enrol in courses in the next semester.

If you receive Commonwealth financial assistance and your USI cannot be verified by the census date of your first semester of study, your enrolment will be cancelled. Please contact the Student Fees team at fees@uq.edu.au if you receive Commonwealth financial assistance and you have any concerns about your USI verification.

Commonwealth financial assistance includes:

a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
HECS-HELP assistance
FEE-HELP assistance
OS-HELP assistance
SA-HELP assistance in relation to student services and amenities fees.

Conferral is the act whereby the University bestows a degree, diploma or certificate on a student, and for most UQ students occurs at the graduation ceremony (whether you attend or not). If you are close to finishing your program, please refer to the UQ graduation website for dates and further information.

What is the Unique Student Identifier?

The Unique Student Identifier (known as a USI) is your individual education reference number that creates an online record of all your training and qualifications undertaken in Australia. Like your UQ Student ID or Tax File Number, your USI is yours for life and you only need to create it once. For more information, please see the USI Registry website.

Your USI will give you access to an online record of your nationally recognised training in the form of an authenticated USI Transcript. You can share your transcript with employers and education providers to prove your qualifications and demonstrate pre-requisites for further training.

How do I get a USI?

Applying for a USI is fast and free, and you keep the same USI for life. You can apply for a USI in as little as five minutes on the USI Registry website.

The USI Registry Student Portal offers a "Provide your USI" option. Please do not use this option as USIs submitted via this form will not be registered by UQ.

Instead, please use the process outlined in the "How do I provide my USI to UQ" section below.

Get USI

If you have studied a Vocational Education Training (VET) course since 2015, including while at secondary school, you might already have a USI.

Find USI

How do I provide my USI to UQ for verification?

Provide your USI to UQ

Once you have created a USI, you will need to update your student details in your mySI-net account by following the steps below:

Open mySI-net.
Log into your mySI-net account using your UQ student credentials.
Click ‘Personal Details’.
Click 'Unique Student Identifier (USI)’.
Enter your USI and click ‘save’.

USI verification in mySI-net

Your USI and personal details in mySI-net will be checked with the USI Registry.

The following personal information must be the same in both systems to be successfully verified:

First Name
Last Name
Date of Birth

‘USI Verified’ message

If your details match with the USI Registry a ‘USI Verified’ message will appear next to your USI.

Your USI is now verified with UQ.

'USI Verification Failed' message

If your details don't match and your USI cannot be verified, a ‘USI Verification Failed’ message will appear next to your USI.

The fields that didn’t match with the information held by the USI Registry will be shown on the page.

To fix this the error, check whether your details are the same on mySI-net and the USI Registry. You may need to update your details so that you can resubmit your USI for it to be verified.

If you’re a domestic student and you need to update details in mySI-net (e.g. legal name) to match the USI Registry and verify your USI, first check your personal details are up to date with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Your Commonwealth support might be affected if your details in mySI-net don’t match the details held in both the USI Registry and the ATO.

Update your Personal Details with USI Registry

You can update your personal details with the USI Registry Student Portal. Alternatively, you can call the USI Registry on 1300 857 536 (inside Australia) or +61 2 6218 0994 (outside Australia).

Update USI Registry

Update your Personal Details with UQ

If your legal name in mySI-net does not match your legal name held with the USI Registry or ATO, you can apply to update it. When you submit a request, you must provide a scan or photograph of current and original documents that confirm your identity. Submit a name change request below.

Submit request

Do international students need a USI?

All international students studying onshore must provide a verifiable USI. As an international student, there are two main factors that can impact your USI requirements:

Whether you are currently onshore in Australia or offshore.
Where you completed all of your studies; onshore in Australia or offshore.

I am currently studying onshore in Australia

If you are an international student who is currently studying onshore in Australia you must get a USI and provide it to UQ for verification.

Get USI

I am currently offshore and will study in Australia

You will not be able to apply for a USI until you have landed in Australia, gone through customs and been issued your valid visa.

Once onshore in Australia, have your non-Australian passport and valid Visa handy.
Apply for a USI.
Provide your USI to UQ.

I have completed all courses outside of Australia

If you are an international student who has completed all of your studies outside of Australia, you do not need a USI.

I am approaching my graduation ceremony

If you have completed some of your courses in Australia, do not have a USI and you are no longer onshore, please contact the graduations team to discuss your requirements graduations@uq.edu.au.

I will return to or be onshore in Australia at the time of my conferral

As an international student who will be onshore in Australia at the time you graduate and receive your award, you must have a USI.

You will not be able to apply for a USI until you have landed in Australia, gone through customs and been issued your valid visa.

Once onshore in Australia, have your non-Australian passport and valid Visa handy.
Apply for a USI.
Provide your USI to UQ.
Refer to your graduation correspondence for the last date to provide your USI prior to conferral.
If you are arriving in Australia following this date, please contact graduations@uq.edu.au as soon as your arrival dates are known.

Who is exempt from providing a USI?

There are limited situations when you can be granted an exemption from providing a USI.

If you are an international student and choose to attend your graduation ceremony or are onshore in Australia at the time of your conferral, you must get a USI, and provide it to the university by the due date.

The USI Registry states that as an international student, you do not require a USI if you commenced your studies prior to 1 January 2023 and are not onshore in Australia on the day you graduate and receive your award.

If you started your studies after 1 January 2023, didn't get a USI while in Australia, are currently offshore and will not be onshore in Australia on the day you graduate and receive your award, you will need to apply for an exemption.

Please refer to your graduation correspondence emails for due dates in relation to providing your USI or evidence of exemption.

Apply for exemption

How can I apply for a USI exemption?

If you are a student who meets the requirements for a USI exemption, complete the form here.

I have applied for a USI exemption. What happens now?

If you have applied for a USI exemption and it is granted, you will receive an email from the USI Policy Data Compliance team. If you have received this letter, please email evidence of your USI exemption to usiexempt@uq.edu.au from your UQ student email address.

If your USI exemption application is denied, you will need to get a USI to be able to graduate and receive your award.

For general assistance:
Email Student Administration
1300 275 870 8.30am—5pm